civilly

adverb

civ·​il·​ly ˈsi-və(l)-lē 

1

: in terms of civil rights, law, or matters

civilly dead

2

: in a civil manner : politely

Examples of civilly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, after an eight-day trial, a 10-person federal jury found that Plazas Vega was not civilly liable for Urán’s torture or extrajudicial killing. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

That option that would require Clancy to be civilly committed to a psychiatric facility, maybe indefinitely. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026

Those held by Customs and Border Protection near the border, or by ICE in the country’s interior, are civilly detained for the purpose of removal proceedings. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

The prosecutor’s office said it was notified the following week that the hospital would not civilly commit him, and he was released. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for civilly

• privily

Kids Definition

civilly

adverb

civ·​il·​ly ˈsiv-ə(l)-lē 

: in a civil manner : politely